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National Forest Foundation

The New Community Assistance Program (CAP)

The Purpose

Rural communities have been adversely impacted in recent years by the legal and political battles that have raged over the management of federal lands. The resulting gridlock has led to serious economic and environmental problems in many places. In efforts to reverse this destructive polarization, many of the affected communities are trying to re-insert themselves into the management dialogue by engaging in various forms of collaborative stewardship. Unfortunately, however, only a small fraction of the USDA Forest Service's budget has been made available to assist economically distressed communities with these types of activities. Local communities striving to play a greater role in forest management outcomes and the sustainability of their local economies, often lack the initial seed money and technical assistance necessary to become established and organized.

Stimulating and strengthening grassroots organizations is essential in creating more resilient local economies and providing for management decisions that embrace both forest health and community concerns. The National Forest Foundation (NFF) hopes to generate improved public awareness of natural resource issues that not only helps communities become more self-sufficient, but also assists federal agencies in responding to the needs of people living on and around national forests. Grants in the range of $5,000 to $15,000 will be used to support initial program development for local community groups that wish to pro-actively address natural resource issues.

Organizations applying for funding through the CAP will not be required to match the NFF contribution. These funds can be used for a broad array of needs, such as: basic operating costs, necessary materials and equipment, group facilitation, technical assistance, training, community outreach, obtaining 501(c)(3) status, program development assistance, non-profit management skill-building, and communications. If an organization does not yet have 501(c) (3) status, they must use a 501(c) (3) non-profit "fiscal sponsor" organization until they have obtained it themselves.

Start-up Assistance and Long-term Support

In addition to basic start-up kit, organizations funded through CAP also receive a free two-year membership with the National Network of Forest Practitioners (NNFP), providing helpful web access, newsletters, and on-going communications with other emerging and e stablished organizations. Grantees will receive an introductory NNFP membership package within the first two weeks of the CAP grant cycle.

Many of the member organizations of the NNFP network have confronted several of the organizational and technical issues that grantees deal with. The NNFP is a grassroots alliance of rural people who are striving to build a forest economy that is ecologically sound and socially just. The NNFP's partnership with the NFF in developing and evaluating the CAP is made especially valuable by the expanded technical assistance, networking, case studies, and informational resources they help us to provide. To learn more about the NNFP and the services they provide, visit the NNFP website.

Grantees will receive regular support and communications from NFF staff, incorporating a learning and education component through its communications program - such as the Mosaic newsletter, the NFF web site, brochures, and other tools and forums to help ensure that collective experiences are shared for improved chances of success. Additional benefits to the CAP award will eventually include case studies (success stories), a grant-writing and fund-raising primer for expanding program capacity, and region-specific sources of technical expertise. In addition, a workshop will be held at the end of the second year (2004), convening all participants to evaluate and critique the program and to exchange and share ideas for future actions.

Expected Program Results

A variety of social, economic, and environmental benefits are anticipated as a result of CAP, both locally and nationally:

• Greater public awareness, involvement, and impact on national forest and grassland issues;
• Reduced polarization on issues involving public lands;
• More conservation projects being implemented on and around the national forests;
• Greater community self-sufficiency;
• Improved local job retention and creation;
• Greater responsiveness from Federal agencies vis-à-vis community needs;
• Enhanced inter-community dialogue and exchange of ideas;
• Improved local technical capacity concerning wood utilization, watershed restoration, recreational development, wildlife habitat improvement, and overall forest management.

The NFF is committed to the idea that stewardship capacity starts from the ground up, by building informed and involved constituencies at every level in the management of natural resources.

To find out more about the NFF's strategies, initiatives, and our current partners, visit our website at www.natlforests.org.

CAP Grantees - Round 1, 2002

Mexicano Land Education and Conservation Trust

Cibola, Santa Fe National Forests (NM)

The NFF will provide start-up support for community facilitators and workshops to build capacity in three Chicano land-based communities of Northern New Mexico by creating a vision for sustainable communally-owned resources, and facilitating greater community involvement in forest policy decision-making on the adjacent Cibola and Santa Fe National Forests.

Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group (NNSG)

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (NV)

The NFF will help the NNSG, an all-volunteer organization, to provide an open and inclusive educational forum for the surrounding communities to learn proper ecosystem restoration techniques, through the hiring of a part-time research and technical support position.

Shasta Energy Group

Shasta-Trinity, Klamath National Forests (CA)

The NFF will help the new Shasta Energy Council to better research and implement renewable energy solutions through the utilization of waste product from national forest fuel load reduction programs. The NFF's start-up support will enable the SEG to obtain their 501(c)(3) status and make the Shasta Sustainability Forum an ongoing monthly event.

Colville Community Forestry Coalition

Colville National Forest (WA)

The NFF will help the newly-forming Colville Community Forestry Coalition to create a model for collaborative community restoration and utilization of local forest resources by supporting the formation and training of a board of directors representing a diversity of stakeholders, and their application for 501(c)(3) status.

Partners of the Cherokee National Forest

Cherokee National Forest (TN)

The NFF supports the hiring of an executive director to effectively lead this start-up in its mission to promote the Cherokee National Forest's management of forest resources on a multiple-use, sustainable basis, support conservation and education of forest resources, and develop new economic opportunities for surrounding rural communities.

Cass Lake Partnership

Chippewa National Forest (MN)

The NFF's start-up support will enable the Cass Lake Partnership to establish a community-based, grassroots Scenic Byway Leadership Board to address resource issues, economic development, and Byway growth and enhancement. The various stakeholders on the Board will develop an inclusive Corridor Management Plan for the Byway, which connects the communities of Cass Lake and Blackduck, MN as it crosses the Chippewa National Forest, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation, and the Mississippi Headwaters Region.

Alaska Natural History Association

Tongass National Forest (AK)

The start-up support of the NFF will be used to create a citizen-based Tongass Foundation which will aid the Alaska Natural History Association, in partnership with the Tongass National Forest, the largest in the nation, to re-engage the public in meaningful dialogue about the future of Tongass National Forest and Southeast Alaska.

In the December 2002 CAP cycle, the NFF committed a total of $101,000.00, providing assistance to seven new organizations.